DYNASTY ── the remarried empress

𝟎𝟏𝟔. the most beautiful of things.

            ASTRID AND HEINREY WERE BEST FRIENDS. they had been best friends ever since astrid arrived to the western kingdom ─ it was like she had known him since forever, it was like being reconected to a brother from a past life. they were as thick as thieves, practically joined by the hip. they were soulmates, no, not in a romantic, but in a platonic way ── they could always sense each other's emotions and somehow, had a sixth sense when the other was close. and as they walked around the imperial gardens, astrid could sense something was off with her best friend. "what's wrong?" she asked into the comfortable silence between them. 

"my brother is dying," heinrey said, not bothering to word it properly. it was just another thing in their friendship, they didn't need to worry about talking eloquently, they were just comfortable to one another. they had understood what the other was going through. they were both second-in-line to the throne, and they both had been prominent figures in society, being surrounded by people and never really knowing who you could trust. 

they found kinship within each other, comfort. it had nothing to do with politics, it was just a geniuene friendship. "you'll have to go back soon," astrid said

"yes, but not immediatly. but i'll have to be there before the letter of his passing arrives, and i'll have to be present to listen to his last wishes," heinrey infromed her

"you shouldn't waste your time here," astrid told him, "you should hurry back,"

"i know," heinrey sighed, "it's just─"

"you want to spend more time with my sister-in-law?" astrid asked as heinrey blushed. she laughed and nudged him, but before she could say anything, a new voice spoke up.

"your imperial highness," astrid turned and it was grand duke kaufman. he bowed and greeted her as usual before astrid dismissted it. 

"did you come out for a walk?" she asked.

"yes ── i wanted some fresh air and cool myself down," the grand duke replied, looking heinrey up and down, "the gardens are lovely," he added, smiling slightly

astrid grinned, "good, it's no where near my garden's though ─ we'll get going," astrid said, pushing heinrey to move along when suddenly the grand duke smacked her hand away from heinrey's back. 

the grand duke stood inbetween them, a harsh glare on his face, "don't stand so close to her," he said. 

heinrey only smriked, "how strange. there's a stranger standing between us ─ what are you doing?"

"being jealous," the grand duke replied as if it were obvious. both men had a small stand off which ended in the prince bursting out into laughter. "what's so funny, prince?" the grand duke asked, narrowing his eyes

heinrey waved it off, "it's nothing," he said, "it's just funny to see you so jealous over a measley friendship when they are bigger threats," 

astrid sent him a glare before reaching out to touch the grand duke as heinrey then suddenly pushed grand duke kaufman away. "could you not bother us anymore? we're in a converation," heinrey said in a deadpan voice

"manners, heinrey," astrid grumbled

"oh, i apologize," heinrey said, but he was saying it to her and not the grand duke. 

"assoiciating with prince heinrey is not fitting or someone of your status, your imperial highness," the grand duke said coldly, brushing the dust off his chest. 

before heinrey and astrid could walk away, mckenna, came charging towards them, "your highness! ── your highness, i have reveived some urgent news which requires your immediate attention!" mckenna said hurriedly

"what is it?" heinrey asked, the blue-haired man glanced at her and the grand duke uncomfortably. 

"go," astrid said, nudging heinrey forward and offering him a smile. he nodded before dashing off. 

astrid sighed, heinrey's words repeating in her mind, "are you close to prince heinrey?" grand duke kaufman asked

"yes," astrid replied as she started to walk beside him, "he's my bestfriend and he's like a brother to me," she noticed the look on his face, "are you jealous?' she asked, a teasing tone to her voice

the grand duke cleared his throat, "i think so, i almost grabbed him by the collar earlier,"

astrid snickered, "that would've been quite the sight," she remarked

grand duke kaufman shrugged, "it's somewhat fascinating for me to feel such an intense range of emotions,"

"how does it feel?"

"have you never been jealous of anyone before?"

"no," 

"really?"

astrid shrugged, "there's never been an opportunity for me to feel jealousy. you know i've been given anything i've ever wanted for my entire life, don't you?"

"since you've never felt intense jealousy before, let me tell you how it feels," he said, "it's feels like there's an invisible voice screaming from within my heart and i am tempted by what it says,"

"what is it saying?" astrid asked curiously

"i can't tell you that," 

"why not?"

"because that invisible voice is warning me right now that i can't tell you how i really feel," the grand duke replied as astrid laughed, "i feel an incredible sense of fulfilment just from having these strong feelings towards you. but it also makes me feel very uneasy in many ways..."

"it sounds like a bitter pill to swallow," astrid remarked, "when the effects do wear off, do tell me how it feels," she said, before pausing, "would you like to accompany me back to my palace?" she asked

the grand duke smiled, "i would love to," 

as they returned back to the palace, the grand duke looked at the palace in surprise. "is this palace made entirely of..?"

"pearl," the princess answered, "the eastern empire harvests the most pearl and apparently enough to build an entire palace," astrid shrugged, "it's formally known as the palace of pearls. come, i'll show you the gardens, they are the most spectacular,"

that evening, the pair had spent it admiring and smelling the flowers. astrid and kaufman sat inside the gazebo and astrid looked around at her garden and sighed blissfully, "isn't it pretty?"

the grand duke nodded, "the most beautiful," he said, not once taking his eyes off her.  

── the autum leaves fell, each piece into its place. astrid peacock blue dress and prussian blue cloak dragged along the leaf-covered pathway, the cool-breezed blew at her face, making the small pieces of hair she had left there to frame her face blow gently. she admired the flowers that were falling from the tree.

next to her, heinrey began to speak, "you probably already know, but i have to return to the western kingdom,"

"i know," astrid confirmed, "you must write to me,"

"of course i will, rida," heinrey told her

"good," astrid nodded as they continued to stroll around her palace of pearls.

── she had returned back to her own private chambers. her ladies-in-waiting curtsied and greeted her. duchess kalliste handed her a letter, and sighed, "it's from duchess tuania," astrid nodded and opened the letter.

YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS,
thank you. though, i don't know why you had planned things the way they were, i thank you earnestly. may you please give me the address to the home you had bestowed to the viscount. i shall find him and spend my days with him in peace. for my whole life, i had been the center of attention and i look forward to being in the background. and i shall once return to being my truest and best self. long live your imperial highness. the viscount and i will support you from the distance. please burn this letter after you have read it.

LADY NIAN.

astrid was in tears after she finished reading the letter. she tossed the letter into the fireplace and sank into her bed and began to cry her heart away. the letter was beautiful, like all beautiful things, it had ended up in her grasp